Street Rat
by Off-to-nevverlandd
Summary: Carmilla Karnstein is homeless and hungry. She decides to break into someone's home for food. Then she gets caught by a Tiny Laura Hollis.
1. Chapter 1

Street Rat

You ease the door open as you hear a soft click of the deadbolt being unlocked. Slipping into the shadows, you stick your hands into the pockets of the three neatly hung coats, pulling out a wallet and two separate wads of cash. After pocketing the money, you slip into the next room.

Carefully, you creep into the kitchen, scanning the room for any forms of life. After deeming it safe, you crack open the pantry, raiding it for nonperishables. You grab endless amounts of cookies and a six pack of grape soda, you're about to slip them into your backpack when the light switches on.

You freeze for a moment before slowly turning around. You're met with a pair of wide eyes. Suddenly the short girl is screaming, yelling things along the lines of "burglar! Someone call 9-1-1! Help I'm under attack!"

You roll your eyes. "Cupcake, chill out. I'm not going to hurt you. It's okay." She looks at you for a moment, screaming subsided for a second. She studies you for a second, then bursts into a run out of the kitchen.

You release a swear under your breath, rolling your eyes again before charging after her. As soon as you round the corner, a can is being held up towards your face.

"Does that say bear sp-"

"Who are you and why are you in my house?"

You narrow your eyes at her. "Carmilla, sweetheart. I was a little hungry. So I decided to help myself."

The girl in front of you lowers her bear spray before taking you in. You're wearing your leather pants and a raggedy jacket you've had since you were sixteen, and an old pair of sneakers.

"Are you… homeless?"

You shift under her gaze, eyes ducking to the floor.

"Do you want me to make you something to… To eat?" She asks.

You laugh, because of course the one time you get caught stealing, you're treated with kindness and offered food.

"If you'd like to make me something, cutie." You state.

"It's Laura. My name is Laura. Laura Hollis. I go to college. Silas University. I share this apartment with my friends, Laf and Perry. They're asleep right now, actually. I was cramming for finals, so I was just in the living room, which probably explains why I heard you and-"

"Cupcake. I don't need your life story. You said you would make me something to eat?"

The small brunette, Laura, seemed to remember her current situation. "Oh right! Food. Of course. You must be starving!"

"I'm not helpless. I can manage on my own. I just… fell behind a little this week." You answer sternly.

"Okay…" Laura murmurs. "What are you hungry for? We've got Mac and Cheese, Ramon Noodles, leftover spaghetti, rav-"

"Anything will do, buttercup."

"Why do you keep using those nicknames? I already told you, my name is Laura."

You smirk. "Okay, _Laura."_

"Okay. So I was thinking Mac and Cheese. It's quick and easy and tastes really good." She beams.

"Sounds good to me." You move to sit at the table, bag dropping to the floor.

You watch the small brunette busy herself around the kitchen, filling a pan with water and putting it on the stove. After she finishes, she sits down across from you.

"So, Carmilla," she begins. "Do you sneak into people's homes often? Have you ever been here before? Do you have a home?" She rushes out.

You blink before mulling over the questions for a second. You take a deep breath.

"Yes, No, and…. No. No I don't." You lower your gaze to your fidgeting fingers.

"Oh… well, where do you stay?" she inquires.

"I uh, I bounce from couch to couch, but lately, out and about." You say, trying to sound nonchalant.

"It's the dead of winter. In New York. It hasn't been more than 12 degrees since November. Do you have any more clothes? Blankets? Thermal blankets?"

The shorter woman is cute even when she rambles, you've observed.

"Don't worry, cutie. I've got this all under control. I know how to produce body heat. I am just incapable of producing food." You try to calm the rambling girl.

Her smile drops. She stands up to check on the boiling water, dumping a box of Mac and Cheese into the pot.

When she turns around, you see the lines of worry wash across her face.

"So you have nowhere to stay?" she probes.

"I, uh. No, not exactly. For now, that is."

"How old are you? You can't be more than 21."

"I'm 19. And a half." You say, your guard building back up.

"Why don't you live with your parents?"

The water in the pot starts to boil over, drawing the attention away from you. Laura quickly turns down the burner and finishes up the Mac and Cheese.

"Could you grab some bowls? Top left cabinet."

You reach up and grab the bowls, then the spoons after she tells you where they're located before handing them to Laura. She fills them up to the top.

Raising a brow, you grab your bowl, walking back to the table. You look up and see Laura carefully balancing hers, trying not to drip anything on the floor, tongue poking out in concentration.

You can't seem to get over how cute this tiny human is.

When she makes it over finally, she looks up to see a smile on your lips.

"What?" she asks, self-consciously touching her face.

You break out of your thoughts, letting out a cough before muttering a quiet "nothing."

"So…"

You've finished your second bowl of Mac and Cheese when you look up and see Laura watching you inquisitively.

"What?" You say with a mouth full of food.

"I was wondering if you'd like to sleep on the couch tonight."

The sudden offer catches you off guard, causing you to choke. After a few coughs, you look at her with a skeptical gaze.

"I suppose that would be," She hesitates, thinking of the right word. "…. Nice."

"Great! I'll go grab some blankets and pillows!" The tiny brunette scampers out of the room.

"This is probably a terrible idea." You mutter.

"Okay, so I couldn't find any spare pillows, so I brought my yellow pillow. And I only have these quilts my weird aunt made. I personally think they're haunted, but Laf said that just because they randomly fly off of your body in the middle of the night despite the lack of wind or any other source of atmospheric disturbances doesn't necessarily mean they're haunted. So you should be fine."

You look at Laura in disbelief. Maybe this was a bad idea.

She seemed to pick up on your discomfort.

"Oh gosh. I know that must sound crazy. I promise, we are pretty sane people." She giggles, and you decide you decide to believe her because anyone with that cute of a giggle has got to be a good person.

"So these roommates of yours. What are they going to think when they wake up in the morning to find a random person on their couch?"

"Oh, Perry will probably freak out at first, but I'm sure Lafontaine will just be curious of who you are." She says, "And Danny-"

"Danny?" You raise an eyebrow.

"Oh, Danny is my friend that lives a couple of floors down. She usually comes in every morning to eat breakfast with us because her boyfriend, Kirsch, is in the military, so she gets pretty lonely, and we've been best friends since freshman year. We even dated in junior year until it was decided that we were simply too good of friends to be romantically involved." She finishes her ramble.

You're smiling at her with a weird glint in your eyes. A gaze you haven't used since-

"So, I need to go to bed. Finals tomorrow." She turns to leave before hesitating in the hallway. "Are you going to be here in the morning? Laf makes great eggs and hash browns. You could always eat with us." She looks at you hopefully and even if you wanted to, you couldn't say no.

"Sure cupcake. I'll be here when you wake up." You give her a reassuring smile before settling into the couch.

"Okay, cool. Goodnight Carmilla."

"Goodnight, Laura."

End of Chapter 1


	2. Chapter 2

You wake up to the feeling of being poked. Keeping your eyes closed, you listen to the conversation that is taking place in front of you.

"Well? Does she seem hostile?" sounds a hushed, nervous voice.

"No, she seems harmless enough."

"Enough?"

Well, I don't know anything about her, Perr. I don't know her blood type, I don't have hair samples, I don't know her-"

The ginger twins were interrupted by a loud yawn coming from the hallway. Laura emerged in the living room, completely disregarding the scene in front of her as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Uh, Laura? Do you know who is sleeping on the sofa?" The high-strung one asks.

Laura pokes her head out from the kitchen. "Oh! That's Carmilla. She broke into the house last night looking for food, so I decided to make her Mac and Cheese because she was obviously hungry, then I found out that she doesn't have a place to stay so I decided to let her sleep on the couch. Just for the night, of course." She finishes.

"Wait, hold on. So you caught a girl sneaking into our house, stealing our food, and you decide to cook her dinner and offer her a place to sleep?" LaFontaine inquires.

"Yes."

You've taken this time to pretend like you've just woken up, stretching and feigning a yawn. Sitting up, you take in the full situation. You see one ginger wielding a rolling pin, a look of intimidation flashing through her eyes. Then you see the other ginger, hair unkempt and a studious look across their face.

"Hello, there." You say, rather awkwardly. You allow your eyes to drift towards the familiar face.

"Good morning, creampuff" You smile.

"Morning." She says with a grin. She introduces you to the two gingers, the high-strung one being Lola Perry and the scientific one being LaFontaine.

"Hello." Said Perry, still holding on tightly to her rolling pin.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving." Said LaFontaine, heading towards the kitchen.

Laura waltzed towards the couch and plopped down onto the cushion next to you.

"So, Carmilla," she began. "Do you maybe want to shower before breakfast?" She asks you.

You look at her for a moment. "Are you trying to tell me I smell?" You deadpan.

The look of horror that flashed across her face broke your act. You erupted in laughter.

"I'm just joking, cutie. Sure, I'd love a shower." You smile.

"Okay, great! It's the second door on the left down the hall. And, um, can you leave the door unlocked."

You falter as you stand up, looking at the woman sitting next to you.

"I, um, why?"

"Because I was thinking maybe I could wash your clothes for you. I mean, I bet you don't get the chance to do that too often. So, I mean, if you'd like. I totally get it if you'd-"

"Cupcake." You halt her rambling. "Yes. You can wash my clothes. Just be careful with my pants." With that, you strode to the bathroom.

You take a moment to figure out how to work the knobs in the shower before turning it onto the right temperature. Letting it run for a moment, you begin to peel of your shirt, setting it on the sink for Laura.

You're slipping out of the legs of your pants when the tiny woman walks in, her face immediately going red when she discovers her error.

"I am so sorry, I figured you'd be in by now!" She squeaks, eyes never leaving you.

You smirk, mischief glinting in your eyes. "Nothing you haven't seen before, cupcake." You let out.

Her face gets impossibly redder. "I definitely haven't seen that. Trust me, I would remember."

This causes you to raise an eyebrow. You smile then, handing over your pants, along with your shirt.

"You can collect my delicates in five minutes, if you'd like." Smile growing as fast as the red spreading to Laura's ears.

"Okay. I will leave you fresh clothes on the counter." She shrills, before rushing out of the room.

After your shower, you dress into the clothes left for you on the counter – a pair of dark grey sweatpants and a Taylor Swift hoodie – and leave the bathroom.

You find everyone in the kitchen, finishing up breakfast. Perry's setting the table, LaF is finishing the eggs, and Laura is pouring drinks.

"Hey." Laura greets you.

"Hi."

"Grab a seat. Danny will be here soon, and breakfast is almost done."

You do as your told, sitting at the nearest seat. Laura brings you a plate, and a glass of orange juice.

"This is what I eat, except I smother my hash browns in ketchup. I don't know how you want it. Or even if you want it. So I decided not to."

"You ramble a lot." You state. You see the girl hesitate. "It's cute."

Laura smiles brightly, but before she can say anything, the door opens to greet a 10 foot tall redhead.

You eye her eerily, unsure of the newcomer.

A wave of "Hey Danny" washes through the apartment, while the amazon makes her way to the kitchen. She immediately lays eyes on you.

"Who's this?" she asks.

"This is Carmilla. She-"

"She's a new friend." LaFontaine interjects.

"Oh, hi. I'm Danny." She promptly holds out her hand.

You hesitantly shake it. Danny immediately takes interest in the food, loading her plate.

You glance and Laura and she's smiling at you, absentmindedly.

After breakfast, everybody gathers into the living room.

"So, Carmilla." Danny looks at you. "How did you guys meet?"

"I, uh," You stutter.

"Laura bumped into her. At the store. And they just clicked." LaFontaine said, with a snap of their fingers.

You and Laura both glanced at LaF before glancing at each other. Laura looks confused, but you're relieved.

"Oh, neat. Laura's always had a knack for picking up strays everywhere she goes. One time," Danny launches into a story.

You laugh bitterly to yourself. 'Stray' is a correct term for yourself.

You steal another look at Laura, who is laughing and blushing at the story Danny is telling. And your heart warms at the sight of her.

You sit and listen to the story is telling, grinning to yourself about the adorable things the small brunette has done.

Soon the storytelling comes to an end, and everyone begins to stand up

"Okay, we all have finals to get ready for." Laura says, turning towards you. Danny exits and the ginger twins head down the hallway towards their room. Laura lingers for a moment.

"Hey, I want to talk to you when I get back. I should only be gone an hour or so. You can hang around here until I get back." She looks at you hopefully.

You smile at the offer. "Of course I'll be here when you get back." You declare. She smiles triumphantly.

"Good. I will see you later, then."


	3. Chapter 3

You're out on the fire escape, leaning over the rail when you hear your name from inside. Poking your head through the window, you call to the voice.

"I'm out here."

You see Laura walk through the kitchen. She slips through the window to join you.

"So what did you while I was away?" She asks, turning to look at you.

"Pretty much just this. Your apartment has a wonderful view." You say as you take in the busy city down below.

You had spent another hour sleeping before you stepped out onto the fire escape and immediately became mesmerized by the busy streets and endless amount of people. It kept

you entertained for the two hours Laura was gone.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" You turn towards her.

You can see that she is mentally prepping herself, which steels you, prepared for the following conversation you've been dreading.

"Well, um," She purses her lips before turning back towards the city. "This is a conversation for everyone in the house. We should wait for LaF and Perry."

You nod, despite wanting to know what's buzzing through her pretty little head right now.

"Okay." And with that you both slip through the window.

"So, can I ask you something?" The smaller woman questions

"Go for it." You say as you make your way into the living room, sitting on the couch. She follows behind you, sitting opposite cushion.

She turns toward you, crossing her legs. You mirror her position

"Okay I was wondering why you live on the streets." She says, studying you inquisitively.

You suck in a breath. You were aware that this conversation might have been brought up eventually, but it doesn't make anything any easier.

"Well," You begin, trying to remain a cavalier façade. "I think there needs to be a little back story before I tell you exactly why I'm… on my own" You say

"So, okay. Picture this. Beautiful young daughter of a successful doctor, forced to endure every social gathering that took place in a large fancy house. Always expected to be the

picture perfect child in frilly dresses with the perfect attitude. That was the life everyone saw me live." You glance up at Laura, who is listening intently to everything you say.

"What they didn't see was how heartless Mother could be. She didn't really care for me. She cared about my brother, treating him like an angel. She would constantly scream at me,

telling me how worthless I am or that she regretted me, telling me I was a mistake. So finally I couldn't handle it. I left. And some days it's freezing and I don't have a blanket or some days I go without eating, but I am a lot happier, now."

Laura smiles at you sympathetically. "Well, you have a blanket now."

This makes you laugh, which make the shorter woman smile more.

"You are so weird. And reckless, and naive," you smile. "You walk into your kitchen in the middle of the night to find someone robbing you of your grape soda and you offer her Macaroni and a place to sleep. I could be a murderer for all you know."

'Yeah, but you're not." She smiles.

You're about to retort when the door opens and closes. Perry and LaFontaine emerge from the entryway.

"Oh, hey! We all need to talk." Laura says, getting up from the couch. LaF and Perry exchange a confused look before they shrugged and walked to the kitchen table, each sitting in a chair.

You join them after Laura motions you over.

"Okay, so," She says, giving everyone a grin. "Carmilla is homeless."

You raise your eyebrows at her bluntness. Everyone's eyes turns toward you.

"And since we have an empty room after Betty moved out. I thought it would be nice that Carmilla could move in." She finishes with an excited smile.

You see the ginger twins exchange unsure glances towards you and each other.

"Um, L. Can we speak to you," their eyes skim over you once more. "Privately."

Laura nods. She gives you a small smile before following the two redheads down the hall. You hear a door close and you let out a breath. This is definitely not what you expected.

Quite the opposite, actually. You thought you were about to have to leave. Go back to your designated bench in the park.

You're chewing your lip nervously, deep in thought, when you here the door opens minutes later. They all wear straight faces when they enter the kitchen.

They sit down. Laura turns toward you and gives you a pointed look.

"Carmilla, do you want to stay here?" She asks.

You take in her words, looking around the nice kitchen and LaF and Perry, then you lay your eyes on her.

"Yes."

The brunette's face breaks into a huge smile. She looks at her roommates, who shrug their shoulders.

LaF offers you a smile. "Welcome to the family."

You can't help but to laugh.

"Okay. Well, then we need to make an impromptu trip to IKEA, then."

"Uh oh," LaFontaine looks at you. "She's got her game face on. Good luck, my friend."

Laura ignores the short haired ginger, requesting Carmilla to go throw her clothes on.

"They're back on the counter in the bathroom." She says.

"Okay, thanks."

After you change, you both leave, headed to IKEA.

"So it's about a ten minute walk." She tells you as you exit the apartment complex.

"I know. I've been there before." You say.

"Oh, yeah, what for?" She gives you a curious glance.

"A bed."

"Where'd you put it?"

You duck your head because of the misunderstanding, embarrassment flooding your mind.

"Oh." She understands after a moment.

"Yeah. I slept on one of the display beds." You murmur.

She intertwines your hand with hers, causing you to look at her.

"None of this is anything to be ashamed of, okay?" she squeezes your hand.

"Okay."

After a few more blocks, you come to IKEA. As soon as you enter, you're lost.

"I don't have any clue where the beds and stuff are." The brunette tells you.

"I don't remember either," you tell her. "And even if I did, everything looks different. I think they reorganized the store."

She shrugs. "Well, let the IKEA hunt begin. We need a bookshelf, a bed, and a desk."

"We are not splitting up. I may never see you again." You deadpan.

"But what if we both start walking left and everything we need is one the right?"

"If you get lost, then who would by the cupcakes?"

Laura stifles a chuckle. "Fine. Let's do this the hard way"

They both begin down a long isle filled with kitchen counters and large appliances.

"So, listen. Thank you for all of this. I don't want to just mooch off of you guys forever, or whatever. I want to get a job or something. To help out with things."

Laura laughs. "You're not mooching, first of all. And what type of job would you get? What do you want to do?"

You shrug your shoulders and walk a little further until you spot something. "I spy a desk." You point towards the desk section.

Laura lets out an excited squeal, causing you to smile. She let's go of your hand that you almost forgot she was holding.

"So which one tickles your fancy?" the shorter woman asks you, looking from desk to desk.

You look at all of them until you see a small nice desk.

"This one. I want this one." It was a simple wooden desk with a drawer on either side.

"Okay." She looks around before sighing. "We don't have a cart or anything."

"Why don't I go find a cart?" You say, before heading the way you came.

"Okay, I'll wait here, then." She yells.

You break into a light jog down the never ending isle. After five minutes, you find the entrance and the long row of shopping carts.

Soon, you're back at the desk section, realizing that there is no Laura in sight.

"Laura?" You call out.

"Laura I know you're hiding." You say a little louder.

You start walking further down the aisle, searching for the tiny brunette. You don't see any sign of her. You pace back and forth, unsure of where she could be.

You're about to give up when you feel hands drop on your shoulders and a loud "boo!" in your ear. You spin around, startled, you find a giggling Laura.

"Gotcha." She says, skipping back towards the desk of your choice.

"What do you mean 'Gotcha'? You didn't even scare me." You tell her.

"Okay, Carm. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

You've collected everything you need for your room, and after an IKEA truck helped you drop it off in front of your apartment complex, it was left up to you and Laura to bring it all to your apartment.

Using the elevator, you put the three boxes containing your desk, your bookshelf, and your bed frame. After dragging it in front of your door, you both rode the elevator down to

the first floor to grab the mattress.

You both stare at it.

"It's not going to fit in the elevator." You tell her. She nods.

"Nope, it's not." She looks at you, finally.

"We have to carry it."

"Fine."

With that, you both grab the mattress and begin your quest up the stairs.

You're eleven stories high, and you're both dripping with sweat, both from the overheated building and the intense physical activity you are both doing.

"Carmilla, I need a break." Laura whines.

"We're almost there, buttercup."

She lets out a groan.

Twelve stories

Thirteen stories

"I think I'm going to pass out,"

Fourteen stories

Fifteen stories.

"Oh, thank god."

Laura helps you drag the mattress into the living room before she unceremoniously drops onto the sofa, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, cupcake. Let's put all of this stuff together."

Laura lets out a disgruntled noise.

"Come on." You poke her in the side, which elicits a small giggle.

"No. I want to rest now."

"Well, we can rest in my new bed after we put it together." You wiggle your eyebrows.

"Hmm, you've known me for less than a day and you're already trying to get me into bed?"

You retort without missing a beat "Well you just bought me six hundred dollars' worth of furniture while only knowing me for less than a day. It's the least I could do." You wink.

"That reminds me. I want to talk to you. About you. I want to get to know my new roommate." She smiles.

"We can do that." You nod. "After we set up my new room." You say, standing up.

You're being uncharacteristically happy. But that's the thing. You're so happy. Last night, you just wanted to steal some soda and be on your merry way. You never thought in less

than twenty four hours you would have a home. But now you do.

"Hey Laura?" You turn towards her. "Thank you again. This is really great. And weird. And unexpected. And completely batshit crazy. For all you know, I could be a psycho. And in

less than a day, you've changed my life." You fidget under her intense gaze.

She looks at you for a moment before standing up and walking toward you.

"There's something about you that made me want to keep you." She jokes, before wrapping her arms around your neck, pulling you into a hug. Your arms slide around her waist.

The door swings open, signaling someone's arrival, causing you both to abruptly pull apart.

Danny emerges into the living room.

"It's Kirsch."


	4. Chapter 4

Laura's attention leaves you immediately, turning to Danny.

"What about him?" She asks, fear lacing her voice.

You can recall hearing about Kirsch in passing. He's in the military; in combat.

You look at Danny, looking for any sort of negative emotion, but her face is expressionless. Empty.

"He, uh," Danny's eyes well up with tears. "He's coming home," She breaks into a large grin.

Laura squeals with delight, enveloping Danny into a hug. She pulls away after a moment, slapping Danny on the arm.

"Don't ever do that again! You scared the muffins out of me." Her face scrunching up, feigning anger for a short moment before exploding with joy.

Her happiness is contagious you infer, feeling yourself smile.

"I thought he wasn't due home for another eight months. What happened?" Laura asks after she settles down.

"Well the idiot," Danny begins. "He decided it would be smart to play basketball with his buddies, and he ended up getting too competitive and broke his leg." She tells you, annoyance in her voice, but she has a large grin.

"This is so great! When will he be here?" Laura asks, buzzing with excitement.

You feel your heart beat faster as your mind processes how _cute _this girl is.

"He should be here by tomorrow."

The excitement fizzles after about an hour. They told LaFontaine and Perry, who both had pretty much the exact same reaction as Laura. LaF makes their special Spaghetti, meatballs and all. Everyone sat at the table, making their plates as they spoke of their day.

"So, Carmilla," Danny begins. "I heard you were moving in." she tells you, eying you eerily.

You can understand her hesitance. A strange girl comes out of nowhere and moves in with your three best friends could bring that out in a person.

"Yeah." You say, simply.

LaFontaine stills, they look at everyone. "Yeah, she needed a place to stay. Closer to the city and all, and since we had an extra room, we decided it would be a good fit." They finish with a smile.

You're very grateful for them. You don't know exactly how Danny would take the news of her best friends taking in a bum without a second thought and allowing her to move in with you, all of this within 24 hours. You don't think she'd have a positive reaction. You look at them and they give you a reassuring smile.

"Okay." The tall redhead says, though she doesn't seem pleased with the answer.

Laura looks confused, you noticed. You don't think she understands why you feel the need to lie. She doesn't say anything though, and she seems let it go. Danny doesn't say anything else about it,

Conversation flows easily between you and everyone else. You all migrated to the living room after a while and LaFontaine is telling one of their crazy alchemy stories. Something about mushrooms.

Your focus is settled on Laura. The way she laughs, her whole body shaking with laughter. The way she bites her lip, trying to hold back a smile as she gets teased for something she did once. The way her eyes light up whenever she gets into a story.

She glances at you, catching your eyes, and you can feel a blush creep up your neck as she gives you a small smile.

Danny leaves around 9:00pm, and LaF and Perry retire to bed at 11:00pm.

You walk to your room. Your room. It's yours, you think. Your bed, your desk. You linger in the doorway

"Scared to go in?"

You turn to see Laura with the same smile from earlier.

"Yes." You tell her, honestly. "It doesn't feel real. I feel like I'm doing something I shouldn't. Like I'm about to get busted for trespassing or something. I don't know." You look into the room before your eyes go back to the shorter girl.

"Well, I could always join you." She grins. You can feel your ears go hot.

"I, well, I mean," You stutter, scratching the back of your neck as you avoid eye contact.

She lets out a laugh. "Relax, I mean just to help you settle in, you know. Get comfortable, and realize this is your room, now." She pokes your side.

You smile, head dropping as a smile creeps across your face for the thousandth time today.

"Sure, creampuff." You gesture towards the room, signaling her to go first.

She walks in as you continue to hover in the doorway. She turns to you, rolling her eyes.

"C'mon scaredy-cat." She grabs your hands, which your sure are sweaty. Nervous habit. She pull you to the bed, both of you sitting on the edge.

"I just realized we haven't gone clothes shopping. You don't have any pajamas. Hang on, don't move." She gets up and exits the room. A minute later, she reappears with a large hoodie and some shorts, while she changed into a tank top and sweatpants. You quickly change into them, very aware of Laura's eyes raking over you when you shimmied out of your jeans.

You take in how oversized the hoodie is and how short the shorts are. Laura seems to notice because she comments on it, saying the hoodie is actually Danny's and the shorts are hers, that she's had since she was probably 15.

You're both sitting in a comfortable silence, leaning against the wall in your bed.

"Thank you." You say, breaking the silence.

"For what?"

"All of this. I know I've said this before, but it's borderline psychotic that you took me in. I mean, you caught me stealing from you last night, and now, a day later, I'm in my own fucking bed, in my own room that has heat and no leaky ceiling, and I have a full stomach. I was happy before, but now? Now I'm so much more than happy." You finish, turning to face Laura.

Laura has tears in her eyes. Which makes you a little nervous. She looks like she's deep in thought and incredibly attentive.

"Can I ask you a question?" She speaks after a minute. You nod.

"What did your mom do? Why were you unhappy with her?"

You think about not talking about it, in fear she won't understand, won't deem in a good enough reason to feel the need to leave.

"Well, she was abusive." You see her face melt with sympathy. "Not physically. Nothing that left visible marks. But emotionally. Psychologically. She was very manipulative. Up until I was 17, I had always believed everything we argued about was my fault. She would yell at me for every little thing like not finishing my chores within a certain amount of time, or having my grades go below an A+, or who my friends were, ore what I was wearing, or what I was reading. She would pick out all of my flaws and put them under a magnifying glass. When she found out I was gay, I never heard the end of her telling me how much I have failed her. How she was so disappointed in me. After a while, it broke me. I was just a sad person for so long." Then one day, I decided I wanted to be happy, and the only way that would happen would be to leave. So that's what I did." You finish, taking a deep breath.

Laura takes it all in. "Well she sounds lovely." Sarcasm flooding her tone. You smile at this.

"But in all seriousness, that's terrible. Emotional abuse is just as bad as physical abuse. She sounds like a monster. And for what it's worth, I haven't found a flaw about you so far, and I highly doubt I will. First of all, you're incredibly gorgeous, and you're really sweet, and trusting. I'm really glad you're here." She tells you, grabbing your hand, intertwining your fingers.

Your heart skips a beat. How silly of you to develop a crush on a girl you met last night, who is currently providing you a place to stay. How silly and how dangerous.

"Yeah, well, uh, same." You say, dumbly. You have both been looking into each other's eyes for far too long, and you are becoming aware of your sudden proximity. You pull away quickly, unlinking your fingers.

"Well, cutie. I'm going to crash now." You feign a yawn.

Laura looks at you and smiles. "Okay. I'll see you in the morning." She leans in, and you close your eyes, unsure of what to do, when you feel her lips press firmly against your cheek, lingering for a moment longer than necessary. "Goodnight, Carm."

She walks out of your room, leaving you dumbfounded.

"Goodnight, Laura."


	5. Chapter 5

You wake up with the sun in your eyes. You squeeze them shut, rolling over with a groan.

"Mornin', sleepyhead."

The voice makes you smile. You peak an eye open to see a Laura Hollis in an oversized hoodie and shorts that are nothing more than glorified underwear. You feel your ears go hot at the sight, though your face remains relaxed, grogginess still clouding your thoughts.

"Good morning." You say, slowly opening your eyes. "What time is it?"

Laura glances at the phone in her hoodie pocket.

"9:54. Brody's flight lands in about four hours. Danny and I are going to pick him up from the airport. Do you want to come? LaF and Perry are going to cook if you want to help them out.

You think about both offers. Go and pick up someone you've never met before from the airport. Or take the chance of burning down the entire apartment complex. You decide on the former option

"I'll go with you." You mumble, voice raspy, filled with sleep.

Laura lights up at this, walking closer towards you. She leans over you in the bed and you can feel your heartrate pick up significantly, incredibly quickly making you go lightheaded, dizzy.

She's rolling on top of you until she's on the bed, behind you. You roll over to see her laying on her stomach, facing away from you.

"Uh, cupcake, what're you doing?" You ask.

"Sleeping. I've been up since 5am and I need a little more sleep. And my room is all the way over there." She throws her arm towards the door, letting it fall, draping over your waist. You take this time to take her in. her hoodie has slid up, showing off her back. You see her toned legs, long and tan. Her hair is in a messy bun, strands going down her neck.

You're in awe by this girl. This girl that you met just over a day ago. She's beautiful, and easily the most kindhearted person you've ever met. She's such a dork, though it comes out so charming. You doubt there's one person in this world that wouldn't like her.

You allow yourself to feel at ease with her arm draped across you, your legs wrapped in warm sheets, and the sun shining through your window. You feel sleep start to take you, but not before Laura rolls over and buries her face in the crook of your neck, arm tightening around you.

You fall asleep with a smile on your face.

You feel like you'd only slept for another two minutes, when your eyes open. You try sitting up but there's a dead weight on your shoulder. Turning your head, you see the tiny woman on top of you. During your nap, she has intertwined her legs. She's more on top of you than she is next to you.

You know you guys probably need to get up soon, so you ease her from her sleep.

"Hey, cupcake." You rub the arm draped across you.

She groans. You try again.

"Laura, hey wake up."

"No."

"Come on, we have to go pick up your friend, remember."

With that, her eyes pop open, though she doesn't move. She lets out a sigh, breath tickling your neck.

Finally, she moves away from you, pulling her phone out.

"It's 11:30. We should get ready." She looks at you. You look at her.

She looks like she's thinking, trying to work something out. But before you can ask her what's up, she rolls on top of you and your heart jumps to your throat. But within the same second she was on you, she rolls off of you, walking towards the door.

She turns back towards you, a questioning look etched in her features

"You need some clothes, don't you?"

You lower your gaze, becoming flooded with embarrassment and shame. Laura is immediately beside you, finger sliding under your chin, lifting your gaze back towards her.

"Hey, no worries. Don't feel bad about this. It's okay. After we pick up Brody, we can go shopping." She gives you an enthusiastic grin that you can't help but reciprocate.

"Sounds good."

"Cool. Now come pick out an outfit from my closet. We're roughly the same size." She gives you a look up and down, making you feel mildly self-conscious.

You both walk into her room, and you can tell a journalism major lives in it. She has a bulletin board filled with newspaper articles cut out and journals scattered across her dresser and her desk. She also has a lot of Polaroid photos littering her walls, mostly of her friends and herself. Some of places or of the sky on a particularly beautiful day or night. Her room is cozy, filled with her past and her future. You admire it.

Laura is searching through her wardrobe, pulling out some clothes. She hands you a pair of dark blue jeans with holes in the knees and a sweatshirt of The Music Man, which she explains is the musical her old high school did once when she was there.

She tells you to put them on, as she searches for her old outfit. You head for her door when she asks where you're going. You turn towards her before saying you were going to go to your room to change. She smiles at this, a large grin, and it confuses you, though she just nods and turns to leave.

The pants are a perfect size, hugging your legs comfortably all the way down to your ankles. The sweatshirt is loose, but comfortably so.

You walk back to Laura's room to find her clad in a pair of jeans and a bra. She glance's over towards you before going back to looking through her closet for a shirt.

You act nonchalant about the situation, but every time she moves, you see her muscles shift, sending shivers down your spine. The dimples on the small of her back are distinct. She turns towards you and your eyes are greeted with her stomach, abs visible. What the fuck does this girl do in her free time?

"Does this shirt look okay?" She holds it up.

"Yeah." You say, distracted from the previous view.

"I'm going to go fix my hair." You gesture to your bedhead. She nods.

You go into the bathroom and throw your hair up in a ponytail after running your fingers through it.

Walking into the living room, you see LaFontaine sitting on the couch, controller in hand.

"What are you playing?" You look at the screen, only to be greeted with a bunch of zombies.

"The Last of Us, a game that takes place about twenty years after an infection that turns people into zombies. It's a pretty good game. It's got a great storyline."

You nod at them, genuinely interested. You sit down and watch them play.

About five minutes later, Laura emerges wearing a pair of black jeans and a denim button up. She gives you a smile as she makes her way to the door, signaling you to follow.

You get to her side as she starts telling you about how you're going to Danny's apartment first, then heading to the airport.

pWalking into Danny's apartment, you see her rushing around frantically, red hair disheveled. You stand awkwardly in the doorway as Laura falls into the sequence, watching them move in sync. A moment later Laura notices your arched eyebrow.

"We've been through this a few times." She gives you a lopsided grin.

After ten minutes of them rushing around, they are ready. Danny is bouncing in anticipation and joy. Laura's hand slips into yours as you stand in the elevator, though a moment later she notices and apologizes, ducking a strand of hair behind her ear. You tell her it's fine, missing the contact already.

Danny is trying to get a cab, nearly getting hit every now and then. Finally a cab stops and you all load in, squeezing into the backseat. Danny's leg is shaking rhythmically and Laura is drumming her fingers against her thigh. You twirl your thumbs awkwardly.

After forty five minutes you arrive at the airport and Danny jumps out before the cab even slows down, Laura closely following behind. You catch up just as they pass through the baggage claim area near the gate.

"Have they landed yet?" You lean towards Laura.

She nods her head enthusiastically, a smile on her lips.

Soon, the doors open and men and women emerge, embracing the people there for them. You don't even have time to blink before Danny is shoving through the crowd. She makes it to a man and jumps on him, legs wrapping around his waist.

"I'm assuming that's Kirsch." You look at Laura, who is literally jumping with joy.

The couple finally break away from their embrace. Kirsch comes over and gets pulled into a hug by Laura. Letting go, he looks at you.

"And who's this? Your girlfriend? Good job, Laura." You feel your cheeks flush. Laura becomes flustered, sputtering out negatives.

"She, me, no, definitely, I mean she's, but we don't – "

"I'm just a roommate." You say, calmly.

"Hello, just a roommate. I'm Kirsch." He reaches a hand out. You take it, shaking it slightly.

"Carmilla."

Everyone is currently sitting at the dining room table, listening to Kirsch tell stories about his time in Iraq.

"And these guys, probably been here for a month, were put up to breach all seven doors. These two poor guys. They had no clue it was just a drill. They thought we were actually rushing the enemy."

Danny is seated on his lap, arms wrapped around his neck. She kisses him every few minutes, may it be his cheek, his head or his lips. Laura is seated next to you, squeezed up against you due to the lack of room in the small dining room.

Her leg is bouncing, jostling you every few moments. She doesn't seem to notice. After a few more minutes of her leg hitting yours, you reach across her, gently placing your hand on her leg, causing her to still. Her hand finds yours, intertwining your fingers.

"Sorry, I'm just really excited. It makes me anxious. And when I'm anxious, I shake my leg." She explains.

"Don't worry, it's fine." You say quietly, not wanting to interrupt the story being told. "You're anxious a lot, though. You sure you're okay?"

You're finding it difficult to remember seeing Laura when she wasn't fidgeting or shaking in some way, now that you think about it.

She looks at you. "Yeah, no worries. I'm good." She squeezes your hand. You drag your thumb across her knuckles.

"I'm going to bed." She tells you. "Today was a long day.

You know it really sort of wasn't, but you don't question it. She releases your hand and slides out of the kitchen, telling everyone goodnight. Her eyes linger on yours for a moment before disappearing down the hall.

You like her. You know you like her. You think she likes you back. But its only been three days. You want to go slow. You need to let this build into more than just lust.

After ten more minutes, you excuse yourself to go to bed.

You're mind wanders to Laura, and she fills your thoughts as you fall asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Street Rat Ch. 6

You're sitting in the desk chair, looking at your room. You're looking at your closet, which is now filled with clothes. You're looking at your bed, brand new with a new comforter. You're sitting in a chair that's next to a desk.

You're dwelling. You're overanalyzing.

All of this is too much.

You've been living with Laura, LaFontaine, and Perry for a month now. You've been watching them leave and return to the apartment every day. You've accompanied them to the grocery store. You've watched them do homework. You've helped LaF cook. You have started a life with these people. And you don't deserve it. You've gotten all of this stuff without doing anything to deserve it. Quite the opposite, actually. You get caught stealing and you're offered a home. A place to stay. How is that fair to the honest people that are sitting out in the cold right now with empty stomachs?

You need a break from all of this pampering. So you slip out the door at 2am, exiting the apartment complex and begin to walk around the city.

You used to do this a lot before. You would get bored of sitting and begin exploring new parts of New York, going places you've yet to see. It's relaxing.

In hindsight, a jacket would have been nice. You're currently walking down 11th street with nothing but sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt on. It's cold. Just above 20*F. By the time you reach 18th street, you're shivering.

You don't return to the apartment until late in the morning.

When you enter the apartment, you're immediately pulled into a tight hug.

"Where have you been?" She pulls back, looking you in the eyes.

"I just went for a walk." You look at her, confused at why she's so worried.

"Yeah, for hours. I heard you leave at, like, 2am." She throws her hands up. "Listen. You can't do that. I was scared something was wrong." Her hand absentmindedly grabs yours.

"Well, I am almost 20. I do believe I can manage a nightly stroll without notifying anyone."

Laura looks taken aback, which is understandable. You've never said anything like that to her. But you're just not used to the coddling yet.

You release a sigh before apologizing.

"I'm just not used to having someone look out for me like this." You explain.

Laura nods, understandably. "Just let me know when you're going for impromptu walks in the middle of the night so I don't freak out again." She chews on her lip.

Your crush on Laura has grown and you can't seem to help it. You've tried distancing yourself, but there's only so much you can do when the girl you like lives in the same apartment as you, her room located across the hall from yours. She is always near you. It's driving you insane.

You have a fear of getting close to anyone. The last time you got close with someone, it ended terribly.

"Yeah, okay. Sure thing." You start for your room.

"Hey, listen. I was going to study in the library down the corner. Want to come with? Keep me company?" She gives you a grin.

You want to say yes, but every time you hang out with her, you like her a bit more.

"No thanks, cupcake. Wouldn't want to distract you."

"Good point. You're very distracting." She looks you up and down, which causes your eyebrows to shoot up to your hairline.

She turns and exits the apartment with her books in hand, leaving you dumbfounded at her uncharacteristically flirty behavior.

You continue walking towards your room, falling onto your bed as you let out a loud groan. Laura's too good for you. You've already established that. Even if Laura were interested, it would probably be in everyone's best interest that you both just remained friends.

You wake up to a dead weight on top of you. Looking down, you see Laura's head resting on your stomach, her arm wrapped around your hip. You frown.

"Cupcake." You jostle her a bit. She wakes up with a muffled groan, rolling on her back to stretch. She looks up at you and she smiles a bit.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep. I just needed to cuddle someone, and since you've been up for it every time I asked for the past four weeks and you said yes, I figured you wouldn't mind if I came in here and – "

"It's fine. Don't hurt yourself trying to explain." You smile a bit at her.

You check the alarm clock next to you, seeing that it's 5:29pm.

"I'm going to make something to eat." You say, crawling out of bed. Laura gets up with you.

"Mind making something for two? I just got home an hour ago, and I'm pretty hungry. She rhythmically taps her fingers against her thigh as she stands in the entryway to the kitchen.

You give her a curt nod.

"So, I've been wondering," She turns towards you, hopping on top of the counter, near the stove where you begin to prepare Macaroni and Cheese.

"What's that, cutie?" You turn the stove on the correct tempature before leaning against the counter opposite of Laura.

"What's your last name?"

You hesitate. You avoid telling people your last name for specific reasons. Everyone can recognize your last name. You drop Laura's gaze, beginning to find the floor more interesting.

"Hey." You here Laura say softly, before seeing her slide off the countertop and walking closer to you. She stands directly in front of you before bringing her finger underneath your chin to pull your head back up, causing you to look into her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. You don't have to tell me if it's something you don't want to share." Her eyes glance downward for a moment before meeting yours again. She hesitates for a moment, holding your gaze. You see out of the corner of your eye, the water beginning to boil over. You move swiftly out of Laura's grasp, thankful for the interruption.

You finish up the Macaroni and Cheese, making Laura a bowl before your own.

You nod before grabbing your bowl and slipping through the window. It's a colder night, in mid-January. You're wearing a large hoodie and some cotton pants, keeping you fairly warm. You can hear Laura's spoon scrape against her bowl though the cracked window.

You know you probably should have eaten with her. But distance has always been your way of resolving things. In this case, your crush on her. Waking up with her on your stomach only made you want her more.

You sigh, scraping the last bit of Macaroni and Cheese into your mouth and slipping through the window. Laura had already finished, her bowl put in the dishwasher, along with the pot you made the food in.

You retreat back into your room, grabbing the novel you had been reading for the past few weeks. You found it in Laura's room when you were both lounging around, and she had told you it was a good read.

It's around 11pm when Laura slips into your room, drawing your attention away from the book.

"Hey." She stands awkwardly in the doorway.

"Hey." You echo.

She wordlessly walks over and pulls you up onto your feet before wrapping you into a hug, her arms tight around your neck. You immediately hug her back.

"You okay?" You whisper, the atmosphere feeling fragile.

"No. I mean yes, but no. I don't know." She shakes her head. "It's you."

"What about me?" You ask, falling back down onto the bed. She crawls over you, claiming her usual spot, leaning against the headboard.

"I want to get to know you, but I feel like everything I want to ask is too personal, or not appropriate or something." She huffs.

"Is this about my last name?" You arch an eyebrow at her.

She stares at you intently. "No, this is how you somehow managed to maintain amazing eyebrows while being homeless."

"I have my ways." You smile at her.

"No, yeah this is about your last name." She sighs, closing her eyes.

You look up at the ceiling. What harm could it do? You know she wouldn't react negatively. It's just a difficult thing to talk about.

"Remember how I was talking about my mother?" You look at her, watching her nod.

"Well, my mother is Doctor Karnstein." You say, taking in her reaction.

Her eyes widen, and she opens her mouth as if she's about to say something, but she closes it and gestures for you to continue.

"Everyone who meets her immediately writes her off as a kind person. And don't get me wrong. On some levels, she's a lovely woman, I suppose." You sit up, moving to lean up against the headboard.

"She is one of the most accomplished doctors in the world." You pause, seeing f Laura has a question so far. When she gestures for you to continue, you do.

"My mother needs perfection. She does not see perfection in many people, including myself. She doesn't see perfection in me because I was born out of wedlock, and because I'm gay, and because of that one time in math class when I was 11 when I got a B- on my report card. She doesn't see perfection in the types of music I listen to, or the type of books I read." You breathe.

"And she let me know that's what she thought. She told me every single day, exposing a new flaw to me, or bringing up an old imperfection, reminding me of their defect. She would dig at it until it bled, and until she had be crying, apologizing for being a disgrace.

"It wasn't until I was much older that I had learned that this wasn't okay, that what she was telling me was not good parenting. I know that nobody is perfect, but to point out each flaw to your child, to shine a light on it and dissect it is a cruelty no one should ever endure."

You hate explaining this to people. They consider you nothing more than an overdramatic teen.

But not Laura. Laura seems to understand, or at least pretends to. She leans her head onto your shoulder, wrapping her arms around your waist.

"Carmilla Karnstein. I can't believe I never noticed it. You look just like your mother." She pauses. "Which is probably not what you want to hear. Gosh, I'm sorry."

You don't mind it, honestly. Your mother is beautiful, if only on the outside. You wrap your arms around her shoulders, instinctively kissing her on the top of the head.

"If it's any consolation, you're probably one of the closest things to perfection I've ever witnessed."

You can't help the large grin that spreads across your face.

"Thank you, Laura."

You click off the lamp on the nightstand next to you before laying down, Laura's arm draped across your waist, her head buried in the crook of your neck.

"Goodnight." You whisper.

"Hmm." Laura hums into your collarbone.

You don't feel the need to wander the city tonight.


End file.
